Tag Archives: Conditions and Diseases

For the people involved in this event, this challenge is one day. For people with Alzheimer’s, it’s every day. Run, walk, bike or challenge yourself to some other endurance activity to honor those facing Alzheimer’s.

On June 20, 2012, the longest day of the year, participants across the northern hemisphere will push their limits in a sunrise-to-sunset relay to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer’s. It’s one day to honor the passion, dedication and strength displayed by people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers every day.

Join us for year one of this exciting and innovative event! The Longest Day allows you to participate with ultimate flexibility – you choose your activity, route and time of day to get active. The only rule is that someone on your team is in motion throughout the 16 hours of daylight on the longest day. The Alzheimer’s Association will provide fundraising support and connect you to a virtual community of other participants. We’ll also be cheering you on throughout The Longest Day!

Each team member pledges to raise a commitment fee and is asked to raise a minimum of $100/hour of activity (suggested minimum: $400). Participants will receive a virtual fundraising toolkit, an event day experience kit (including a T-shirt and awareness and celebration materials) and ongoing staff support to help plan a great day and reach fundraising goals. Through smartphone technology and social media, every participant will be able to showcase their efforts and share their stories as part of the global movement to fight against Alzheimer’s.

We’re in it until Alzheimer’s is finished. Show your support for the cause by donating to a team or participant in The Longest Day. Give to honor the more than 35 million people worldwide who are living with Alzheimer’s and the countless caregivers who face this disease so bravely every day.

To avoid heatstroke, avoid strenuous physical activity outside during the hottest time of the day, if possible.

(CNN) — Michael Musick is all too familiar with the toll heat can take on the human body.

He was helping his father put up hay on their family farm three weeks ago when his vision began to blur. His legs became weak and his muscles cramped.

“If you keep pushing it, after you see the stars, then everything goes black and you pass out,” said Musick, 46, who lives on a farm near Honaker, Virginia. This was the third time in five years that he had a heat-related illness, but this was the most severe. This time, he passed out twice.

“It’s pretty classic for folks. If they continue to have episodes of heat-related illness, they usually get worse each time,” said Dr. S. Hughes Melton, practicing physician in Lebanon, Virginia, who treated Musick for heatstroke.

A normal body temperature is around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but in heatstroke the body can warm up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in 10 to 15 minutes. Death or permanent disability can result from heatstroke if not treated immediately.

The risk of heatsroke is up this week because of heat wave across the nation. Twelve states are under heat advisories from the National Weather Service as of Wednesday, including Musick’s Virginia. And even areas of the country that aren’t under heat advisories, such as Newark, New Jersey, and New York’s JFK airport, hit record highs Tuesday.

“When you have the kind of heat wave that we’re having now, we start to get worried,” said Dr. Janyce Sanford, chair of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

America under heat stress

This summer’s heat has already claimed at least one life: a 51-year-old man in Granite City, Illinois, died because of excessive heat, according to the Madison County coroner. He was found unresponsive in his mobile home, where the air conditioner was not working, according to CNN affiliate KMOV. The preliminary cause of death is heatstroke.

Between 1999 and 2003, there were 3,442 reported deaths resulting from exposure to extreme heat, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During that time Arizona had the highest number of deaths related to hyperthermia, which happens when the body overheats (heatstroke is a form of it), followed by Nevada and Missouri.

Elderly people and young children, as well as people with chronic severe illnesses, are at highest risk of heatstroke.

Heat cramps are usually considered mild, and can be treated with liquids and going into a cool environment. More severe is heat exhaustion, which involves elevation of body temperature, headaches, nausea and vomiting.

And then there is heatstroke, which is the most life-threatening. Heatstroke resembles heat exhaustion but may additionally involve neurological symptoms such as confusion and dizziness, or even coma. The body can no longer sweat, and internal temperature skyrockets.

Geoff Stoker, 24, remembers sweating profusely at soccer camp in high school and then, after three days, the sweating stopped altogether. He lost desire to eat, and vomited. His father, a surgeon, treated him for heatstroke at home, and he had no long-term side effects.

In Musick’s case, the heatstroke temporarily diminished his kidney function to about 50%.

Patients may also lose water weight through dehydration, said Dr. Sylvia Morris, hospitalist at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia. A hospitalist is a physician whose focus is patients within a hospital.

Sanford’s hospital typically sees one or two chronically ill elderly patients who live without air conditioning and develop heatstroke in any given summer. But she believes the South sees fewer cases because people in that region are more acclimated to high outdoor temperatures; they’re more used to having to deal with heat than in other parts of the United States.

Treatment

In severe cases, patients must be admitted to the intensive care unit, where medical staff watch body temperature carefully. A 48-hour hospital stay would usually be necessary, Sanford said.

“If you can get them to treatment fairly quickly, they’ll survive it,” Sanford said. Chronic illnesses can complicate recovery, however.

Treatment focuses on cooling the patient down to a normal body temperature. If the patient has a clear airway, breathes normally and has normal circulation, medical staff will remove his or her clothes and spray cool water while a fan is blowing, Sanford said. Cool intravenous fluids also bring body temperature down.

Musick’s wife Teresa, recognizing heatstroke symptoms, drove him to the hospital when she noticed that his speech was slurred and his blood pressure was dropping. The emergency room staff gave him an IV, and the next day he followed up with Melton, who gave him two more IV bags.

“His body is not able to cool itself effectively, and so for him, he needs to avoid prolonged working in the heat. That’s really his only option at this point, because I don’t think his body will adapt,” Melton said.

Avoiding heatstroke

To protect yourself, try to avoid strenuous physical activity outside during the hottest time of the day — between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

People who must work outside should make sure they drink plenty of water every half-hour or so and take breaks in a cool environment if possible, Sanford said. Wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing and a wide-brimmed hat can also help.

You can tell if you’re dehydrated by looking at your urine, Melton said. If you’ve had adequate amounts of water, your urine will probably look light in color; darker means you should drink more.

And make sure you check on the elderly, especially if they don’t have air conditioning, Morris said. They should spend time in cool places such as a library or a mall to get a break from the heat, she said.

Musick said his problem is that he doesn’t like to drink water so much, and his hydration concerns his wife. But over the past three years he’s made an effort to get at least 8 glasses a day in his system.

Since his most recent heatstroke, he’s been resting and hasn’t been out on the farm.

Colon cancer is a leading global cause of both illness and death; with an estimated 101,340 cases among Americans in 2011. Roughly one third of diagnoses are stage III or node-positive disease. In randomized clinical trials (RCTs), adding oxaliplatin to adjuvant 5FU is known to improve outcomes of patients with stage III colon cancer. But the effect of this combined therapy outside RCTs is unknown. In addition, fewer than 2% of patients with the cancer enroll in RCTs, and participants are known to be generally younger, healthier and less racially diverse than the overall cancer patient population.

In order to determine the effects of combined therapy in stage III colon cancer patients in the general population, Hanna K. Sanoff M.D., and assistant professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and colleagues, gathered data from patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry linked to Medicare claims (SEER-Medicare), among other cancer registries. All patients had stage III colon cancer, received chemotherapy within 120 days of surgery, and were age 75 years or younger. Overall survival (OS) was then compared between patients treated with combined therapy and standard chemotherapy.

The researchers found that adding oxaliplatin to adjuvant therapies for stage III colon cancer in patients of the general cancer population was just as effective as in patients from RCTs. The addition of oxaliplatin showed improved survival across various practice settings, including those with older and minority patients as well as patients with greater comorbidity. “Physicians and patients should be reassured from our findings that oxaliplatin is associated with marginally but consistently superior survival for patients diagnosed before age 75 years in community settings,” the authors write. They feel that now that combined therapy has proven efficacious in the general population, it is important to home in on high –risk subgroups such as patients over age 75, racially diverse minorities, and those with co morbid conditions.

The United States Congress designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. During January, you may wish to highlight issues related to cervical cancer, HPV disease and the importance of early detection. Some of the issues you may wish to highlight are personal stories of women and family members/caregivers battling issues related to their persistent HPV/precancer and/or cervical cancer. You may wish to highlight recent advances and research in the prevention, detection and treatment of cervical cancer or HPV. You can highlight the success of your local/regional early detection cervical cancer screening and treatment programs and human-interest stories on the importance of early detection, education and the emotional issues related to battling cervical cancer and HPV.

Cervical Health Awareness Month 2012

Each January is recognized as Cervical Health Awareness Month. Each year in the U.S. approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and more than 4,000 lives are lost as a result. This doesn’t take into account the many thousands of women who have cervical abnormalities and abnormal Pap tests for reasons other than cancer, but who still undergo expensive and inconvenient follow-up exams and treatments.

Cervical cancer is caused by specific types of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common infection that almost everyone who is sexually active will have at some point. There are vaccines that block the types of HPV most often found with cervical diseases, and screening tests (such as Pap tests and HPV tests) that can identify women most at risk. We can prevent cervical cancer!

ACSM research links exercise with reduced risk of death in patients with existing heart disease

INDIANAPOLIS – In all parts of the world, the start of a new year inspires adults to give up junk food, join a gym or make healthier choices. For one group, the resolution to become more active could literally be the difference between life and death. Research released today by the American College of Sports Medicine finds that being more physically active can help adults suffering from heart disease keep premature death at bay.

The study, “Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk: Possible Protective Mechanisms?” is published in this month’s issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of ACSM. The research team, which included Lee Ingle, Ph.D., examined the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and mortality risk in patients with cardiovascular disease.

“It is well established that regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces the risk of future cardiac events in healthy individuals and individuals with existing cardiovascular disease,” said Ingle, an academic with the Carnegie Research Institute at Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. “What are not well understood are the biological mechanisms responsible for reducing the burden of risk. We examined the extent to which changes in typical cardiovascular risk factors explained the association between physical activity and death in individuals with cardiovascular disease.”

The study included 1,429 participants, both male and female, with physician-diagnosed heart disease. At a baseline visit, participants reported demographic information, health status, disease history, smoking habits and physical activity levels. Shortly after the baseline visit, nurses recorded medication and body mass, collected blood samples, and measured blood pressure and resting heart rate. Within seven years, 446 of the 1,429 participants died. Death certificates linked 213 of the deaths to cardiovascular disease.

“The main finding from this study was that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces the risk of future cardiac events, in part, by improving metabolic and inflammatory risk markers in patients with cardiovascular disease,” said Ingle.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 45,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® is the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at 1-800-638-6423. For a complete copy of the research paper (Vol. 44, No. 1, pages 84-88) or to speak with a leading sports medicine expert on the topic, contact the Department of Communications and Public Information at 317-637-9200 ext. 133 or 127.

The conclusions outlined in this news release are those of the researchers only, and should not be construed as an official statement of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Seeing a chiropractor or engaging in light exercise relieves neck pain more effectively than relying on pain medication, new research shows.

The new study is one of the few head-to-head comparisons of various treatments for neck pain, a problem that affects three quarters of Americans at some point in their lives but has no proven, first-line treatment. While many people seek out spinal manipulation by chiropractors, the evidence supporting its usefulness has been limited at best.

“These changes were diminished over time, but they were still present,” said Dr. Gert Bronfort, an author of the study and research professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota. “Even a year later, there were differences between the spinal manipulation and medication groups.”

Moderate and acute neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for trips to primary care doctors, prompting millions of visits every year. For patients, it can be a difficult problem to navigate. In some cases the pain and stiffness crop up without explanation, and treatment options are varied. Physical therapy, pain medication and spinal manipulation are popular options, but Dr. Bronfort was inspired to carry out an analysis because so little research exists.

“There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are,” he said.

To find out, Dr. Bronfort and his colleagues recruited a large group of adults with neck pain that had no known specific cause. The subjects, 272 in all, were mostly recruited from a large HMO and through advertisements. The researchers then split them into three groups and followed them for about three months.

One group was assigned to visit a chiropractor for roughly 20-minute sessions throughout the course of the study, making an average of 15 visits. A second group was assigned to take common pain relievers like acetaminophen and — in some cases, at the discretion of a doctor — stronger drugs like narcotics and muscle relaxants. The third group met on two occasions with physical therapists who gave them instructions on simple, gentle exercises for the neck that they could do at home. They were encouraged to do 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise up to eight times a day. (A demonstration of the exercises can be found at www.annals.org).

After 12 weeks, the people in the non-medication groups did significantly better than those taking the drugs. About 57 percent of those who met with chiropractors and 48 percent who did the exercises reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to 33 percent of the people in the medication group.

A year later, when the researchers checked back in, 53 percent of the subjects who had received spinal manipulation still reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, similar to the exercise group. That compared to just a 38 percent pain reduction among those who had been taking medication.

Dr. Bronfort said it was a “big surprise” to see that the home exercises were about as effective as the chiropractic sessions. “We hadn’t expected that they would be that close,” he said. “But I guess that’s good news for patients.”

In addition to their limited pain relief, the medications had at least one other downside: people kept taking them. “The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication more frequently throughout the follow-up period, up to a year later,” Dr. Bronfort said. “If you’re taking medication over a long time, then we’re running into more systemic side effects like gastrointestinal problems.”

He also expressed concern that those on medications were not as empowered or active in their own care as those in the other groups. “We think it’s important that patients are enabled to deal with as much control over their own condition as possible,” he said. “This study shows that they can play a large role in their own care.”

We’ve been reading so much great advice for caregivers this holiday season, we felt it was worth a blog post just to highlight some of these informative articles. If you’re a caregiver to an aging friend or loved one, take a few minutes to read up on some useful tips that can help you travel your caregiving journey with ease.

Ryan Malone, of Inside Elder Care, never fails to impress with his expert insights. His latest blog post talks about the recent Gallup poll that really drills down caregiver statistics in the U.S. Some of them are not surprising, but some will be shocked to learn just how many folks are caring for a loved one these days — and the level of sacrifice they make each day in order to do so.

Registered nurse, former caregiver (for her father), current long-distance caregiver (for her mother) and our friend (we’re proud to say!), Shelley Webb of Intentional Caregiver, gives us 11 New Year’s resolutions caregivers can make this holiday season in a guest post for Maturity Matters.

If you’re planning to move a loved one in the near future, check out these ten tips from AARP. And for more awesomeness from AARP, read this post if you have a caregiver on your shopping list this holiday season for some excellent caregiver gift ideas. Thinking cruises and spa getaways? Think again: an empathetic ear, a little help. You know, those intangibles that are far more valuable than expensive gifts!

Montgomery Media offers tips for caregivers to de-stress this holiday season. Top of the list? Don’t forget to take care of yourself, so you can provide better care for your loved one. We’ve heard it many times, but caregivers get so caught up in caring for loved ones they easily forget this very important task.

Tax season is rapidly approaching, and Forbes has some information on tax breaks to help caregivers ease the financial burden.

American Medical News talks about how technology can connect doctors and caregivers. Easy communication is critical between the two, as caregivers must stay in control of their loved one’s care needs.

The San Francisco Chronicle features a press release covering a new approach to caregiving for the Alzheimer’s/dementia patient. The Pines Education Institute of S.W. Florida partnered with Teepa Snow, a nationally-recognized dementia care expert, to produce a series of educational DVDs to aid caregivers.

MSN takes a humorous approach to identifying the signs of Alzheimer’s disease with “7 Signs Santa Has Alzheimer’s.” This light-hearted approach excellently conveys critical signs caregivers and loved ones should look out for, especially if visiting a long-distance aging loved one over the holidays.

The holidays are supposed to be a joyous time, yet many aging and disabled adults find themselves with a case of the holiday blues. If your loved one is having a difficult time this holiday season, check out these tips from Care.com to help.

La Mesa Courier features a great list of tips for making this holiday season a joyous one for your aging loved ones. Try cooking a special meal together, listening to their stories from the past or taking a nostalgic ride around town.

There are so many more to share. What’s your favorite holiday tip for caregivers? Give us some ideas in the comments and we’ll feature your tips in an upcoming blog post!

People with diabetes mellitus often tell me that one of the greatest challenges is managing diabetes during the holidays. For those facing this struggle, I’d like to share some tips prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Diabetes mellitus is a condition resulting in high blood sugars that can lead to both short-term and long-term health complications. It is not uncommon for adults with diabetes to also suffer from conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and chronic heart or kidney conditions. Collectively, managing these conditions can be challenging during the holiday season.

Holiday challenges include travel logistics, access to health services and alterations to daily routines that may affect the diabetes self-management plan.

Those who will travel for the holidays should be certain to pack adequate medications and supplies for the duration of the trip. This includes pills, blood sugar testing supplies and – if needed – insulin and related supplies. Commercial carriers, such as airlines, commonly recommend that these things be packed with carry-on luggage to avoid problems that may result if checked bags are delayed or lost.

Be aware of your commercial carrier’s rules regarding security and baggage as well as issues related to services offered en route. Meals often are not routinely offered to air passengers, even on flights of long duration. This can present a challenge for diabetics on insulin or other medications that can lower blood sugar to dangerous levels when meals are missed. Precautions include packing meals or snacks with carry-on luggage as well as emergency supplies such as glucose tablets or gel and a glucagon kit for people on insulin. When meals will be offered by a commercial carrier, consideration should be given to an advance request for a diabetic meal selection.

Medications and medical supplies should be properly labeled in their original container. Be certain to request child-proof safety caps for medication bottles if visiting a home with small children. Insulin should be packed in a small cooler with refrigerated packs. people with diabetes should carry medical identification regarding their diagnosis as well as contact information for their medical provider and a medication list in case of emergency.

Once travel arrangements have been made, plan to enjoy your holiday travel. The biggest challenge will be departure from usual mealtime routines and physical activity routines. Make daily exercise such as walking with family members part of your holiday schedule.

It is also important to prepare in advance for holiday feasts and the variety of traditional holiday foods that are tempting this time of year. It is OK to enjoy your holiday meals as long as you use some basic good judgment. Eating a small healthful snack before the feast can help reduce overeating. Portion sizes of sugary, salty and fatty foods should be kept small. Eat slowly and give yourself time to enjoy your meal, and follow your body’s cues and don’t overeat.

Dr. Matthew A. Clark is a board-certified physician in internal medicine and pediatrics practicing at the Ute Mountain Health Center in Towaoc.

To state the obvious, addressing any mental health or psychological problem is easier if you can figure out what is causing the problem. Sometimes you cannot do anything about the cause, but usually understanding the cause helps you figure out the solution.

For people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, or stress during this time of year, it can be difficult to sort out the causes. For some, the onset of late fall and early winter is accompanied by the onset of a seasonal mood disorder, also called seasonal depression. For others, a significant cause of feeling down or overwhelmed is stress associated with the holiday season. In each case, trying to identify the cause can help you figure out what to do to feel better.
Symptoms of Seasonal Mood Disorder: According to the American Psychiatric Association, 10-20% of people in America feel more depressed with the onset of winter. The symptoms for seasonal depression are exactly the same as those for major depression. As the name implies, the only difference with seasonal affective disorder is that the symptoms begin at roughly the same month for one or more consecutive years. Common symptoms include:
• persistently sad or irritable mood ( 2 or more consecutive weeks)
• pronounced changes in sleep, appetite, and energy
• difficulty thinking, concentrating, and remembering
• lack of interest in or pleasure from activities that were once enjoyed
• feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, and emptiness
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
• persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
Symptoms of Acute Stress: People differ in terms of their feelings and behaviors when they are experiencing too much stress, but common signs of excessive stress include:
• Feeling anxious or worried much of the time.
• Feeling irritable or short tempered.
• Muscle tension, back problems, or increase in physical pain (jaws, neck)
• Stomach problems such as heartburn or acid stomach

Coping With Mood Disorder
• Find a way to get out and get going: Staying with your exercise routine, starting a new routine, or finding interesting activities that don’t depend on warm weather is very important. Staying put in your home often increases your depression.
• Exposure to Light: Taking advantage of natural sunlight is important. It may sound odd, but make sure you get outside on sunny days. Some people treat seasonal depression by sitting under bright fluorescent lamps for 30 or more minutes a day.
• Talk to a psychologist or other mental health professional: For both mild and more severe seasonal depression, talk therapy produces great benefits. Often our own patterns of thinking keep the depression going longer than needed. Counseling can help identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving.
• Medication: Some anti-depressant medications, such as Wellbutrin XL, have been FDA approved for treatment of seasonal affective disorder. Your psychiatrist or primary care doctor can discuss a range of medical treatment options.

Coping with Holiday Stress
• Set realistic expectations: Sometimes our stress at the holidays is the result of having expectations that are simply unrealistic. Check with someone you trust about whether your expectations of yourself are too lofty.
• Avoid unhealthy coping: If you can’t remove some of your stress, it is helpful not to make things worse. Try to avoid coping by things which are unhealthy such as excessive smoking, use of alcohol, or unhealthy eating.
• Pace Yourself and Take Care of Yourself: Just because you have a lot to do doesn’t mean that you can run at a full sprint for several weeks. Build time, even brief time, into your schedule to relax and rebuild.

November is Alzheimer’s awareness month. Worldwide it is estimated that about 16 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, 4.5 million of them are Americans. For every person with Alzheimer’s there is often at least one other person who directly cares for them and a host of healthcare & social workers, advocates, volunteers and support workers in the background. With so many people directly or indirectly affected by Alzheimer’s it is good that a time of year is set aside to promote awareness.

It is not known what causes Alzheimer’s disease and at present there is no cure. But there is hope and help for those people with Alzheimer’s. Research into the disease is offering answers to many questions. The pooling of knowledge, the increasing amounts of international funding will one day provide us with the cause, with better ways of treating Alzheimer’s and will hopefully provide a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Until that day this site pays tribute to all the people who have Alzheimer’s disease, to all those who strive to make the lives of people with Alzheimer’s better. To all the caregivers who love and care, who daily give such a lot to help their loved ones we say a special thank you in recognition of your very special contribution.

American Geriatrics Society
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a not-for-profit organization of close to 6,000 health professionals devoted to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people.

LifeLegacy Foundation
LifeLegacy Foundation was established in 1997 as the first and only federally approved 501(c)(3) non-profit research organization that is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks.

NAPGCM
National Association of Geriatric Care Managers’ mission is to advance professional geriatric care management through education, collaboration, and leadership.